by Candace Buckner, USA TODAY Sports

by Candace Buckner, USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- From now until the end of the Indiana Pacers' season, the year shall be split into two parts.

Before Bynum. After Bynum.

Throughout the "B.B." months, the Pacers performed as the best defense and often, simply the best team in the NBA. There were complications, like sloppy ball handling and overpassing on the offensive end that could become an Achilles' heel in the future. However, for the vast majority of the first 46 games, the Pacers played well enough to overcome such carelessness as they did on Saturday night for the 97-96 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

Still, it was on this night that the Pacers (36-10) closed the "B.B." chapter with their first four-game series sweep of the regular season. All five starters reached double figures and in spite of a season-worst 24 turnovers, other strengths - like the team's 86.5 free-throw percentage and trustworthy defense - created a victory when a loss might have been more appropriate.

"It feels good," George Hill said, "when you win a game like that when you know you're not supposed to win it."

Now, what happens tomorrow and every coming day until the Pacers end the year in celebration or bitter disappointment will be the "A.B." era.

The Pacers will try to integrate their newest 7-1 weapon seamlessly and figure out how to get their once out-of-work acquisition right just as the team has learned to win even as the bench plays worrying stretches of rhythm-free basketball.

In other words, every potential challenge in the "A.B." months will be defined as how Andrew Bynum becomes part of the team and the Pacers keep the focus on just that - the team.

"It's going to be about this group," said David West who finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and a team-best seven assists against only one turnover. "That's one of the things we're going to make sure that's not lost in all of this. We understand he has a name and he's been the storyline the last couple places that he's been but we're not going to make this about him. We're going to make this about the Pacers."

Even before Bynum officially joins the team, which should be sometime next week, the Pacers considered themselves a viable contender for the NBA crown.

"Yes!" Vogel responded emphatically when asked if he believed that the roster as it was on Friday night could compete in June.

Then, Vogel defended the Bynum addition as not a response to the Pacers trying to fix something they felt was wrong, but rather building on sturdy ground.

"The chances are better now," Vogel said. "Just because what we were before we added Andrew Bynum doesn't mean we weren't capable, OK? If you felt you were ready to compete for a championship and somebody said, 'Well, you want to add LeBron?' The answer would be 'yes.'

"There (are) always opportunities to improve every team no matter where you're at. But it doesn't mean that before this happened we didn't feel like we had a roster put together to win a championship."

Now in "A.B," the Pacers are emboldened by their title drive but still have lingering issues to correct.

The Pacers hit six field goals in the fourth quarter but nearly threw the game away with five turnovers during the same stretch. Had it not been for the free throws (West made 5-of-6 while Lance Stephenson was 4-for-4), the Pacers might have fallen to the 20-25 Nets.

"We can't have these games where we're just careless with the basketball," West preached.

Though Vogel gave ample rope to four reserves - C.J. Watson played 18 minutes, 33 seconds while Danny Granger also surpassed 18 and Luis Scola played more than half of the final quarter - the unit only made one shot apiece. Ian Mahinmi, whose role on the Pacers will dramatically change in "A.B," hardly factored in the game during his 13-minute stretch (1-for-4, three rebounds, two fouls, three points).

"We got to figure out something to get a better rhythm with that group," Vogel said.

Moving forward, this problem solving must happen as the team mixes in a new player. Still, the Pacers are steadfast that After Bynum could be just as successful as life before him.

"We have no egos here. I think it will be an easy transition for us to open our arms to him," Paul George said. "From what I hear, he's a great dude. I sent him texts already. I've been talking to him already. He's excited to be here. I don't think it'll be nothing that we can't overcome."